A mid-season look at all LVC, Colonial and MVC softball teams

Several teams have done better than expected, but some haven't played to their potential.

April 18, 2013|Keith Groller

The high school softball season is at the halfway point.

So, it's the perfect time to take a mid-term examination and see what the 31 teams in the Lehigh Valley Conference, Colonial League and Mountain Valley Conference have done so far and where they might be headed in the three weeks left in the regular season.

We're going to divide the teams into three categories — "Above and beyond" for the squads that have exceeded expectations; "They are what we thought they were" for teams that have played at the level expected, and "Room for improvement" for teams that have been either inconsistent or somewhat disappointing.

Here we go:

Lehigh Valley Conference

Above and beyond

Freedom — The Patriots were injury-plagued a year ago but have bounced back strong, with pitcher Emily Gundrum leading the way.

Northampton — With Marly Laubach having finished last season so strong, the K-Kids were expected to do well, but few thought they'd be 10-0 at this point.

Bethlehem Catholic — Yes, the Golden Hawks were favored to win the league, and for the most part, they have delivered. It was almost impossible for them to exceed expectations, but they have avoided letdowns. I don't count that 1-0 loss to Northampton in which an error led to the only run as a letdown.

They are what we thought they were

Emmaus, Parkland, Liberty, Allen, Central Catholic and Dieruff — The Green Hornets, Trojans and Hurricanes are all very good teams, as expected. And the Chicks, though showing signs of improvement under new coach Jillian (Wilmott) Cabrera), Vikettes and Huskies are all scuffling for wins as expected.

Room for improvement

Whitehall —The Zephyrs have a lot of seniors and one of the area's best players in shortstop Madison Kelly, a Division I recruit headed to Quinnipiac. For them to be 2-8 at the midway point has to be considered a major disappointment.

Easton — The Red Rovers also returned numerous players and also feature a star shortstop in Chelsea Quinn. Pitching seems to be the problem, although Emmaus, Becahi and Freedom were all held to three runs or fewer.

Nazareth — Lack of consistency is the only thing placing the Blue Eagles in this category. Yes, the Blue Eagles are 7-4, but they shouldn't be losing to Parkland and Emmaus by 11-1 scores or even giving up eight to Freedom.

Colonial League

Above and beyond

Catasauqua — Coach Bob Thomas expected some good things coming into the season, but I don't know if even he expected to be 7-2. The Roughies can be a little shaky in the field, but have as much offensive firepower as anyone in this league.

Southern Lehigh — The Spartans are never expected to be bad, but after their struggles in 2012, few knew what to expect this spring. Save for what coach Brian Neefe called "an embarrassment" against Catty on Wednesday, Solehi has played good defense and has been relentless on the bases.

Northern Lehigh — About a week ago, the Bulldogs would have been in another category, but under second-year coach Jon DeFrain, this once-signature program has stabilized and appears headed for better times as a recent 4-1 stretch indicates.

Palmerton — The Blue Bombers had to replace some key players and came out of the blocks with a 10-0 loss to Catasauqua and a 9-5 defeat to Bangor. Since then, freshman Kendra Pekurny has emerged as a solid pitcher and sophomore Janel Tracy has become one of the area's top power hitters with four home runs.

They are what we thought they were

Pen Argyl, Notre Dame, Saucon Valley, Wilson — The Green Knights are the defending champions and were the preseason favorites, and with the exception of a 10-8 loss to Palmerton, they have lived up to the advance billing. The Crusaders, Panthers and Warriors are all teams that expected to be around .500, maybe slightly better, and that's where they are.

Room for improvement

Bangor — The Slaters got off to such a good start under first-year coach Nicholas Ambrosius and showed what they are capable of, but have lost six of their last seven.

Palisades — The Pirates won their first two games and seemed on the way back to respectability, but have lost seven straight.

Northwestern — It is very unusual to see the Tigers, who have been consistently successful over the years, scuffling along at 4-7. Don't discount a strong second half because this team has talent.

Salisbury — Coach Brian Covely said his team has been competitive in most games, but hasn't been able to finish in most cases. He expected more.

Mountain Valley Conference

Above and beyond

Stroudsburg — The Mounties seem to be the one MVC team capable of beating anyone in the district.

E.S. North — The Timberwolves have already matched their win total of last season.